“What about my bags? I can’t leave them here. I have some jewelry of my mother’s. Some of her pictures and—”

“Okay. I’ll think of a way to sneak the bags out, too. Just give me some time to work on a plan. You should probably pack up, too,” he told Heath. “We’ll need to be ready to pull out at a moment’s notice.”

Heath hesitated, clearly not liking Axel’s suggestion, however rational.

“I’ll return in five,” he finally said, shutting the door behind him, leaving Axel and Mystery alone.

Chapter Nine

FOR a long moment, silence prevailed in the cozy hotel suite.

“Thanks for stepping in to help,” Mystery finally offered. “You didn’t have to, but—”

“You’re welcome. Now explain what happened between us this afternoon.”

She didn’t even try to misunderstand, just grimaced. “I tricked you into bed. I know you must be angry.”

Mystery looked genuinely contrite. And so beautiful, Axel gritted his teeth. He was pretty damn sure she wasn’t wearing a bra, and the whole time Heath and the police had been here, every male in the room seemed to be sneaking a peek at the lush mounds of her breasts, barely concealed by the pink flowery fabric.

“Confused,” he admitted, prowling closer to her. If he only had five minutes to figure this out before her bodyguard returned, he wanted to get a few things straight. “Why did you leave without saying good-bye?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I figured you were done with me. Why linger and make things awkward? Especially when you weren’t supposed to know I was the woman in your bed.”

“Ever? Because of our past? Or because, in your head, the trailer park guy is only good for some afternoon delight?”

Mystery blinked back in horror, frantically shaking her head. “No. Ohmigod, that’s not it! You’d turned me down once. Your first rejection crushed me. I couldn’t give you the chance to turn me down again. If you refused whoever I’d disguised myself as . . .” She shrugged. “I guess I thought it wouldn’t hurt as much. And I cringed at the thought that, if you knew I still wanted you, you’d laugh or think I was pathetic or—”

Axel cupped her face, gathered her closer, and cut her off with a scorching kiss. He seized her lips and lay them under his own before he spread them wide and dove in. She was safe and warm and alive in his arms. She wanted him and didn’t seem to give a shit that he’d grown up a hick from the sticks. And damn, she felt so fucking good.

Instantly, Mystery stiffened, dragged in a breath. He braced for her to push him away. Instead, she latched onto his shoulders, fingers digging into his flesh, and lashed his tongue with her own.

Electricity rolled up his spine, shot down through his veins. She revved his system like nothing he’d ever experienced. More than she had even a few hours ago. And damn far more than she had six and a half years ago. He’d been harsh with her then, knowing he couldn’t take sexual advantage of a traumatized young woman, even if he’d found her attractive as hell. Nor had he wanted to betray her father’s trust or cloud his head while they were potentially still in danger.

Now? Maybe he should leave her alone, but fuck holding back. He wanted her.

For the last half dozen crappy years, he’d looked for something more in his life, someone to fill the odd void he hadn’t understood. With Mystery pressed against him, he totally understood what he’d been missing.

She moaned into their kiss and all but climbed up his body to get closer.

Axel growled and grabbed her lush ass in both palms, all but lifting her against his aching cock. “Am I laughing? Does this feel like I think you’re pathetic?”

“No,” she whispered, her gaze melded with his own.

“No,” he confirmed. “When you left my house, I wasn’t done with you.”

Mystery swallowed hard. “And now that you know I was the girl you slept with earlier?”

“I don’t remember a lot of sleeping, princess. But I’m thinking we should do it again, just to make sure I remember right.”

She sent him a relieved smile, coupled with a little laugh. “I’d like that. But with so much happening now . . .”

“I’ll handle it.” He kissed his way up her neck, reveling in her soft skin, her clean soapy-vanilla scent, the little love bite he’d left on her neck. He ached to leave them on her breasts, hips, thighs, smooth pussy. “But don’t you doubt that I intend to get you naked and under me again.”

Her breath hitched. “Please.”

Axel couldn’t stand it another moment; he had to touch her. He caressed his way down her shoulder, then skated his palm toward her breast, cupping the mound covered only by thin cotton. Her nipple tightened.

He brushed his thumb over the sensitive peak, his whole body tensing with need when it hardened even more. “I want this in my mouth.”

With a little moan, she slid her head back, as if granting him access to her neck, her chest. Hell, giving her whole body to him. She was the most gorgeous creature. He’d tried like hell not to notice it when he’d rescued her from Death Valley. She’d still looked a bit like a girl then. Now that she was clearly all woman . . . Jesus, this need was eviscerating his restraint.

“Axel,” she pleaded.

“We don’t have time now, damn it. But soon,” he muttered, his voice thick. “I just need to know one more thing . . .”

He shouldn’t do this now, not with Heath returning soon. But Axel intended to take every opportunity possible to touch Mystery. So he dropped his hand down her body again, gliding his palm over the curve of her hip until he reached the hem of her short nightgown. Tucking his fingers under the frilly trim, he skated his knuckle up the soft skin of her thigh until he reached her pussy and burrowed between her folds. Sweet, bare, and so damn wet for him.

Axel let out a low groan. “I can’t wait to get this off you and shove my aching cock into you again . . .”

A clinking noise at the door alerted him that they wouldn’t be alone for long. With a frustrated curse, Axel pulled his fingers away from her cunt. After the sound of a retracting door handle, Heath barged inside and looked at them as if he knew exactly what had been going on.

Someone get the genius a prize.

“Now that everyone is gone, we should discuss our exit strategy,” Heath said, not taking his eyes off the two of them.

Axel couldn’t seem to stop himself from wrapping an arm around her waist. Heath glared his way.

“On the way out, we’ll tell the hotel manager we’ve had a change of heart about that suite, and Mystery will be flying back to London right away. It’s the same story we’re floating on Twitter,” Axel pointed out. “If whoever is threatening her thinks they’ve won for now, it should buy us some time to get her to safety.” And figure out who the fuck kept ripping her sense of security to shreds. “I’ll walk the two of you to the parking garage with your luggage, then you’ll follow me. I’ll be on my bike. I have a location in mind. If someone tries to follow you, we’ll do our best to lose them.”

Heath didn’t look as if he liked the plan—or maybe just Axel—but he conceded. “You live in this city and know it better, so I’ll let you lead on this. How long?”

“Can we head out in ten?”

Heath nodded. The gray just beginning to lace his dark hair, along with the impeccable dark suit, made him look somewhere between distinguished and dangerous. After an hour or two with him, Axel wanted to believe the man had Mystery’s best interests at heart. But he was pretty sure Heath’s concept of her ideal future didn’t include Axel at all.